Libya’s state-owned oil company sues US company over armoured vehicle deal

National Oil Corporation seeks $400,000 from Alpine Armoring over failure to deliver customised car

A Chevrolet Suburban that Libya's state-owned oil company wanted to be customised and sent to Tripoli. Chevrolet

Libya's state-owned oil company is suing a US armoured vehicle maker for $400,000 after it failed to deliver one of its most highly protected models to Tripoli.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC), headed by Mustafa Sanalla, paid Alpine Armoring $371,000 for the rare, customised Chevrolet Suburban 3500 HD, but it was not delivered as planned in February 2020 because the company could not secure a US export licence.

The company said the plating would stop armour-piercing rounds with nothing on the market close to the “high quality and immediate availability” of the Chevrolet. The documents did not say who intended to use the car.

The company, based in Chantilly, Virginia, has since refused to repay the NOC, which is suing for breach of contract, according to court documents filed in Texas.

Alpine Armoring sought to have the case dismissed last month, or to force the NOC to enter arbitration to resolve the dispute.